Firefighters pour water on hot spots of a house that burned along Cedar Mist Ln. in Auburn, California on Aug. 30, 2009, after a fast moving wildfire swept through a business district and residential neighborhood destroying dozens of home and business. less

Firefighters pour water on hot spots of a house that burned along Cedar Mist Ln. in Auburn, California on Aug. 30, 2009, after a fast moving wildfire swept through a business district and residential ... more

Photo: Peter DaSilva, Special To The Chronicle

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Local kid check out a friends destoyed home along Parkway Rd. in Auburn, California on Aug. 30, 2009, after a fast moving wildfire swept through a business district and residential neighborhood destroying dozens of home and business. less

Local kid check out a friends destoyed home along Parkway Rd. in Auburn, California on Aug. 30, 2009, after a fast moving wildfire swept through a business district and residential neighborhood destroying ... more

Photo: Peter DaSilva, Special To The Chronicle

Image 3 of 3

Homes destroyed in Auburn fire

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Firefighters have halted the advance of a blaze that damaged or destroyed 60 homes and other buildings in the Sierra foothills town of Auburn, authorities said today.

The blaze, dubbed the 49er Fire, has burned 275 acres and is half contained, Cal Fire officials said. Numerous structures are still threatened in an Auburn neighborhood near Highway 49 and Rock Creek, authorities said.

"We've been able to hold it at that," said Cal Fire spokesman Daniel Berlant. "The big challenge is going to be continuing to build the containment lines and get all those hot spots out."

Berlant said firefighters will be grappling with same dry, windy conditions as Sunday, when the blaze broke out about 2:40 p.m.

"The winds are actually starting to pick up somewhat this morning," Berlant said. "That's going to continue to be a challenge, especially if we have a lot of hot spots throughout the area. We're making sure we don't have any embers of those hot spots picking up and being pushed outside the perimeter line."

Some 620 firefighters are battling the blaze with the help of air tankers and helicopters. Two injuries have been reported. The cause of the fire has not been determined.